The present invention relates to toolholders and, especially, to a shim lock mechanism used to hold an insert in place on a stationary or rotary toolholder.
Many toolholders and milling cutters and the like are designed so as to mount a polygonal insert on the end or periphery of the toolholder or milling cutter. Inserts manufactured for such support bodies can have a center hole provided thereon so that they may be clamped at least between a pin member and a side wall provided in the support body.
It is desired, when using such polygonal inserts, that the inserts be indexable and invertable. Therefore, mechanisms are needed that will allow the machine operator a fast, but yet efficient, method of indexing or replacing a cutting insert when it becomes worn.
Several examples of toolholders or milling cutters that clamp an insert such as that described above may be had by a review of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,238,600; 3,310,859 and 3,788,625. Other types of tool support bodies, such as broaches, may also be reviewed by a study of U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 28,239; 3,656,220 and 3,103,736.
While the above-mentioned patents have provided some answers to the problems encountered in the industry, it is a desired objective of the present invention to provide a reliable shim locking mechanism that is fast, efficient and not too expensive to manufacture.